An early system of criminal identification using precise body measurements and physical characteristics, developed in the 1800s before fingerprinting.
From French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon (1853–1914) + '-age' (suffix indicating a system or practice). Bertillon created the 'anthropometry' system, and the word entered English as his method became famous across Europe and America.
Bertillonage was essentially the CSI of its time—Bertillon was the world's first forensic scientist who could actually catch repeat criminals by measuring ears, arm length, and other body parts, revolutionizing law enforcement!
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